A very easy 5.0-kilometre walking route and a Romanesque chapel give Bouzon-Gellenave two specific points of interest for a stay: exploring the landscape and discovering local history. Added to these are the memory of a pilgrimage, archaeological traces and an episode from the Resistance. If you would like to include culture and a walk in your travel plans, these offer a choice of distinct, clearly defined themes.
Landscape and orientation
Bouzon-Gellenave lies on a hill and is surrounded by the Saint-Mont vineyards. Between Aignan and Nogaro, the village stretches along a ridge that separates the Midour from the Riberette; the Riberette is also called the Petit Midour. Hills, the ridge and vineyards thus shape the landscape in different ways: the vineyards surround the village, while the ridge describes the position of the two waterways in relation to one another. The Domaine de Saint-Gô covers 165 hectares around the Château d’Esparsac, which is also called the Château de Saint-Gô. Château d’Esparsac and Château de Saint-Gô are two names for the same château; the Domaine is the estate that surrounds it.
Chapel, church and religious history
The small 12th-century Romanesque Chapelle Notre-Dame du Bouzonnet was built over an original sanctuary. Its semicircular apse and rectangular nave give the building a clearly described form. At the same time, the chapel was a pilgrimage site where seeds were blessed; the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary on 8 September was celebrated in particular. The building’s form and its pilgrimage tradition offer two distinct ways of approaching the chapel: its Romanesque architecture and its traditional religious use.
Nearby, the church of Saint Martin de Bouzon is a separate point of reference in the village’s history: it is mentioned as early as 1062. This date refers to the mention of the church, whereas the chapel as a building dates to the 12th century. The two religious buildings can therefore be placed in their historical context without conflating their distinct histories.
Archaeological traces and the Resistance
Bouzon-Gellenave is home to the archaeological site of the motte de Saint-Gô. The village’s history also includes a motte-and-bailey castle associated with the Visigothic occupation in the 5th century. This adds a much earlier historical dimension to the picture, beyond the religious buildings.
Another episode belongs to the history of the Resistance. From Bouzon-Gellenave, Maurice Parisot spent three years working underground to build a well-armed, well-equipped infantry battalion of 500 men. The subjects mentioned therefore range from the Visigothic occupation and the history of the religious buildings to a precisely defined episode from the Resistance.
A walking route with a clearly stated distance
For a walk, there is the “Discovering History” route. It is 5.0 kilometres long and rated very easy. It follows a path to the tumulus, then returns to Bouzon-Gellenave through sections of woodland and vineyards. The distance, stated difficulty and sequence of landscapes give you concrete points of reference when choosing a route. It links a named destination with woodland and vineyard sections before ending back in the village.
Discover more destinations: Gensac, Castelnau-D'arbieu, Barcelonne-Du-Gers, Miélan, Condom, Aubiet, Viella, Lannepax
For the broader travel overview: Gers.
